Does this count as exercise?

fairestthings
fairestthings Posts: 335 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm starting this with the question about washing a car (wearing a HRM) but feel free to add more if you're unsure! Hopefully someone can help :-)

Replies

  • qtiekiki
    qtiekiki Posts: 1,490 Member
    You can count anything as exercise if you want. Personally, I don't count anything that I am not specifically doing as exercise. My thinking is that if you have been doing it before you try to lose weight, then why would doing it now make a difference in your calorie expenditure that would cause weight loss.
  • fairestthings
    fairestthings Posts: 335 Member
    You can count anything as exercise if you want. Personally, I don't count anything that I am not specifically doing as exercise. My thinking is that if you have been doing it before you try to lose weight, then why would doing it now make a difference in your calorie expenditure that would cause weight loss.

    I agree, thanks :-)

    We don't wash the car(s) that often at all, so I counted it yesterday but don't think I will in the future. I'm not so out of shape that scrubbing and vacuuming a little really burns much for me so it feels like I'm "cheating" the system to add that in.
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    Flossing?
    Typing a really long letter?
    Bending over to get the candy bar out of the bottom of the snack machine?
    Holding a telephone up to your ear instead of using a bluetooth headset?
    Dialing with a rotary instead of touch phone?
    Driving a manual transmission?
    Changing a diaper?
    Grunting out a fighter that doesn't want to let go?
  • impyimpyaj
    impyimpyaj Posts: 1,073 Member
    It's not "cheating" if you're burning calories. That doesn't even make any sense. Washing the car burns more calories than your typical activity. Count it.
  • Teresa3612
    Teresa3612 Posts: 21 Member
    How would you count something like weedeating for 45 minutes to an hour? I don't have alot of time in the evenings and if I spend that much time on yard work I don't feel like doing more exercise, so I consider that my exercise for the day.
  • angelew
    angelew Posts: 133 Member
    I wore my HRM once when I washed my car and was amazed at how many calories I burned! I rarely wash my car myself, so you bet I counted it as my exercise for that day!
  • SONIA820
    SONIA820 Posts: 208 Member
    If it's not an every day event then I count it! :) And especially I would count something like handwashing my car! What a fun way to really burn some calories!!
  • fairestthings
    fairestthings Posts: 335 Member
    It's not "cheating" if you're burning calories. That doesn't even make any sense. Washing the car burns more calories than your typical activity. Count it.

    It only burned about 230 calories in 1h 40m. I'm not a sedentary person on a regular basis, so it wasn't an unusual burn for me. I think if i were very overweight and didn't do a lot of physical activity even before my weight loss attempt then it might count.

    It does make sense -- for someone who is on their feet all day anyways, regardless of exercise or diet plan, standing by a car scrubbing the side for a little bit isn't really fat burning in a purposeful sense. I wash dishes everyday too and that is way more vigorous than the car washing LOL
  • fairestthings
    fairestthings Posts: 335 Member
    How would you count something like weedeating for 45 minutes to an hour? I don't have alot of time in the evenings and if I spend that much time on yard work I don't feel like doing more exercise, so I consider that my exercise for the day.

    I'd get a HRM for "odd" activities that aren't listed on the MFP.
  • LilynEdensmom
    LilynEdensmom Posts: 612 Member
    If it isn't something I do normally in my everyday routine I count it.
  • impyimpyaj
    impyimpyaj Posts: 1,073 Member
    It's not "cheating" if you're burning calories. That doesn't even make any sense. Washing the car burns more calories than your typical activity. Count it.

    It only burned about 230 calories in 1h 40m. I'm not a sedentary person on a regular basis, so it wasn't an unusual burn for me. I think if i were very overweight and didn't do a lot of physical activity even before my weight loss attempt then it might count.

    It does make sense -- for someone who is on their feet all day anyways, regardless of exercise or diet plan, standing by a car scrubbing the side for a little bit isn't really fat burning in a purposeful sense. I wash dishes everyday too and that is way more vigorous than the car washing LOL

    I got distracted when I was writing that comment. The reason I say it doesn't make sense is because if you're burning the calories, you're burning the calories. There's no "cheating" involved. You either burn them, or you don't, and if you burn them, it's ok to log them. If you don't feel it's really that much outside the realm of your typical activity, and you already have your activity level on here set to reflect that, then no, don't count it. But for me, and for a lot of people, washing the car is outside the realm of normal, so I would count it.
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    The key is to check what your activity level is set at - if the activity is over and above regular daily activity then it makes sense to log it.
  • MsPetuniaPig
    MsPetuniaPig Posts: 74 Member
    Flossing?
    Typing a really long letter?
    Bending over to get the candy bar out of the bottom of the snack machine?
    Holding a telephone up to your ear instead of using a bluetooth headset?
    Dialing with a rotary instead of touch phone?
    Driving a manual transmission?
    Changing a diaper?
    Grunting out a fighter that doesn't want to let go?

    Haha! Needed a good laugh this morning...
  • TrailRunner61
    TrailRunner61 Posts: 2,505 Member
    I'd say it depends on how often you do it.

    I'm usually not the person who does it and I'm short so it's a pretty good workout for me to wash my car/truck, dry and wax them! I think I would probably count it.

    If it's just a rinse and wipe job, nah.
  • nsimportant
    nsimportant Posts: 170 Member
    Flossing?
    Typing a really long letter?
    Bending over to get the candy bar out of the bottom of the snack machine?
    Holding a telephone up to your ear instead of using a bluetooth headset?
    Dialing with a rotary instead of touch phone?
    Driving a manual transmission?
    Changing a diaper?
    Grunting out a fighter that doesn't want to let go?
    Quickly log it!!!!
    Bending over to get the candy bar out of the bottom of the snack machine is the best exercise because You eat your calories right back woohoo!
  • fairestthings
    fairestthings Posts: 335 Member
    It's not "cheating" if you're burning calories. That doesn't even make any sense. Washing the car burns more calories than your typical activity. Count it.

    It only burned about 230 calories in 1h 40m. I'm not a sedentary person on a regular basis, so it wasn't an unusual burn for me. I think if i were very overweight and didn't do a lot of physical activity even before my weight loss attempt then it might count.

    It does make sense -- for someone who is on their feet all day anyways, regardless of exercise or diet plan, standing by a car scrubbing the side for a little bit isn't really fat burning in a purposeful sense. I wash dishes everyday too and that is way more vigorous than the car washing LOL

    I got distracted when I was writing that comment. The reason I say it doesn't make sense is because if you're burning the calories, you're burning the calories. There's no "cheating" involved. You either burn them, or you don't, and if you burn them, it's ok to log them. If you don't feel it's really that much outside the realm of your typical activity, and you already have your activity level on here set to reflect that, then no, don't count it. But for me, and for a lot of people, washing the car is outside the realm of normal, so I would count it.

    Sorry, I guess I mean "cheating" as in cheating myself. Obviously we are all burning calories throughout the day, even if we are big lazy bums who sit and watch t.v. all day (YAY!!) so i suppose that's what I meant by "cheating". It's a mind game for me, so if I log in even, say, vacuuming the whole house for 45 minutes... it feels like I'm cheating because that's not really a physical push for me.

    I don't think I'm making any sense. Need to just go work out, hahaha. Now that I can log - no questions asked!
  • myjourney2
    myjourney2 Posts: 424 Member
    You can count anything as exercise if you want. Personally, I don't count anything that I am not specifically doing as exercise. My thinking is that if you have been doing it before you try to lose weight, then why would doing it now make a difference in your calorie expenditure that would cause weight loss.

    My thoughts exactly!
  • sjohnny
    sjohnny Posts: 56,142 Member
    I only log what I actually do solely for the purposes of exercise. I do a lot of stuff that probably is a pretty good workout but I don't log it because I wasn't doing it for the purpose of burning calories/building strength/increasing athletic capabilities. I don't log cleaning the barn, I don't log unloading feed from the truck, I don't log yard work (my front yard is an acre and my backyard - the part I mow - is 1/3 acre - it takes me 1.5 hours to weedeat and about 2.5-3 hours to mow on a riding mower), I don't log clearing brush. If I don't log that *kitten* - and most of it is probably a pretty good workout - I'm sure as hell not going to log washing the car or taking out the trash or picking up dog crap.
  • trishthestormlulay
    trishthestormlulay Posts: 1
    I just washed my truck and 4 place living quarters horse trailer and it was quite a workout with the arms - the long brush and you can'[t just scrub lightly. I did a "quickie" job and it took a sold hour so I think I am going to count it! It felt like more exercise than walking a few miles!
  • TenderWalnut
    TenderWalnut Posts: 13 Member
    I wore my heart rate monitor once when I mowed and did the yard just to see how many calories it burned. Since I do it about every 10 days I go ahead and add it to my normal daily workout, but that is just so I feel more comfortable eating something later that day.
  • SoLongAndThanksForAllTheFish
    SoLongAndThanksForAllTheFish Posts: 831 Member
    If you want to count this kind of stuff, which is daily normal activities not done for exercise, then be prepared to re-visit this the next time you aren't losing, or are gaining, this is probably the reason!

    HRM, a steady state aerobic monitoring device matched to a "control" set of "averaged" people, will tend to show calorie burn way above what you actually burn for these types of activities. You will reach and strain and up BP and HR temporarily while doing it, HR will increase when you drop cold water on your foot, HR will increase when you drop the sponge, or when you hold your breath straining to hear what your husband/wife/child is yelling to you over the sounds of water, and when you yell back... all which the HRM will note as significantly increased aerobic exertion, which it isn't, and give you false increased caloric burn...
  • Flab2Fab27
    Flab2Fab27 Posts: 461 Member
    Nope.

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